No matter where our paths may wind, we'll remember always, graduation day (Beach Boys)

Adam's graduation ceremony took place during the week. Keegan, Jacky and I travelled to Hamilton to celebrate with the boy wonder.




Love and peace - Wozza

Time for a cool change (Little River Band)

Yes - it's that time again! Time for a change. So this is a newsy post.

We've had a busy old couple of days since my last posting. Seems we've sold our house (to a lovely family who live in the Stratford region) and I've accepted another contract with Cognition Education. This means Jacky and I will be returning to the Middle East shortly (early November).

I'll be advising in a school in Al Ain which is in the United Arab Emirates. Jacky is looking to continue her nursing there too; I also want to continue with my research proposal through Waikato University - so we should be busy.

Our other energy has been in trying to find a house to live in when we return to Nu Zild in the future. Our focus has been the Hawke's Bay and Manawatu regions. No luck as yet, although we've seen a couple of possible places: one east of Waipawa; and one in Waipukarau. No huge hurry as our settlement day is Jan 28, 2011. This allows Jade to stay in the house and look after the animals until Jacky can return to NZ for Xmas.

Of late I've been getting all the documents ready for the move and we have Adam's graduation to attend tomorrow. So we're off to Hamilton...now!

Love and peace - Wozza

Don't ever change people even if you can.(Jefferson Airplane)

I very very very rarely read two books at once. I just can't hold the concentration. If I've ever done it, it's because one of them isn't doing it for me, so I slip into something a little more comfortable.

I can't recall ever reading two really engrossing books at once. Never happens. If I'm engrossed, I become consumed by the world inside the book and don't want to leave. It has always been thus.

How 'bout three? Impossible. Inconceivable.

Well I thought so...until right now.

Somehow I find myself doing the impossible - reading three superb books at the same time!!!

The three in question are: The Lost World (Arthur Conan Doyle) which I'm reading on my Kobo e-reader; The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Stieg Larsson) and Eats, Shoots and Leaves (Lynne Truss). These last two are being read in old technology.

How did this happen? Well it helps that I'm in the middle of the longest holiday I've ever had (I haven't been employed since the end of July and I've been reading A LOT).

Of course, it's impossible to actually read three books at once. The eyes can only focus on and decode one set of symbols at a time. Trendy bookish people usually say they have three 'on the go'.

I've taken to alternating each book, a chapter at a time. It's quite tough leaving the old one, picking up the new book and re-engaging with the narrative. But somehow the style differences in my three choices make it easy to do. I actually look forward to each book in turn.

The Lost World is a bit of a revelation. I love the lost world premise and previously I've read the Edgar Rice Burroughs' books on the theme (The Lost Continent) but had no idea Conan Doyle had a similar story to tell. It is delightfully dated in style, but very cinematic. I was stunned to find a film version in a recent gander through the Warehouse's DVDs. Cost $2.99 and stars Patrick Bergin (mmm - who?). I want to wait until I've finished the book before I take a look. I'm hoping it's delightfully dated in style as well.

Sallie kindly lent me a number of books recently - three Lynne Truss books and the three parts to The Millennium Trilogy (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is the first). She warned me that it took her about 50 pages to really get hooked. I liked the novel from the start but I fell in love at page 82 when the thriller/who dunnit plot is firmly established. I am finding that I am increasingly drawn to books written in translation (in this case from Swedish). The language takes on some new and interesting twists!

Speaking of language - Lynne Truss has the market cornered on quirky books on manners and stickler hood. She is definitely becoming the patron saint of sticklers everywhere. I am one of those people who laments the death of the apostrophe (and if it's not dead, it sure smells funny). I hate inappropriately written shop signs with a passion and I have taken to actively correcting the errors on menus and the like (menu's anyone?). I can't change the inner pedant!

Okay - enough blogging - I need to get back to Mr Malone, Mr Blomkvist and Miss Demeanour (she of the failed punctuation).

Love and Peace - Wozza

I'll be there with the love that will shelter you (The Four Tops)

Well someone had a birthday recently!

The first of Rocktober has rolled around again and I have had another groovy day celebrating my venturing forth into the world 53 years ago.

Thanks to all of the whanau who got in touch with happy thoughts.

One message reminded me of a great day in 1994 when we all trooped out to Jacket's Island (off Motueka in the Nelson region of the south island) for a farewell dinner at the Sivak's compound (the Purdys were on the move back to Auckland at the time). Their daughter made one of her special cakes for the occasion, decorated as a Lennon face. I just happen to have a photo of said cake, said artist and said family which can go here -





I hope the rest of the Sivak clan is all feeling bosker wherever they are in the world right now. Who can keep track?

Greg K also sent a cheeky little message about me being a year older than him. Hmmm - so here's a bit of payback. Here is the mere slip of a boy in Gregarious G-String mode from his world tour of Mt Eden. I can't quite remember why he was sending my mum this. He's just a giving kind of guy I guess.


Jacky bought me a Kobo e-reader (on Ross and Hayden's advice) as a present and I've been busy getting to grips with it. So far so great. It came loaded with 100 free books of the classic variety. very few of which I've read, it turns out. I've started with Conan-Doyle's The Lost World and so far I'm loving both the book and the e-experience. It ultimately holds a thousand books so I don't think I'll be heading back to the library for a while.
Love and peace - Wozza